Widow

25. "ANYTHING FOR YOU!"

The next day when Zain entered the lounge of the villa, he saw Shanzay sitting on the couch with Saud in her lap. Zain looked around and found Hashim in the right corner of the lounge, staring out of the window.

"Hey. How are you?" Zain smiled as he stood beside Hashim.

"I am good. What is bothering you?" Hashim asked, searching his face for any clue.

"I did something terrible I guess!" Zain sighed.

"What?" Hashim asked.

"I told Shanzay to stay away from the family." Zain said.

"And why would you do that?" Hashim asked, not at all surprised.

"She had a fight with her father and she came to me after that. I don't think she will ever leave her father. We need to be cautious."

"You are right. But this is not bothering you. Tell me the orignal reason." Hashim urged him.

"Moona asked me to apologise to Shanzay." Zain said.

"WHAT??" Hashim yelled, causing everybody in the lounge turned to them. "I am sorry, it's nothing." He raised his hands to his shoulders. Shanzay stared at him with doubt in her eyes. Hashim turned to Zain again. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Can you talk to Moona about this?" Zain asked.

"She will never understand." Hashim shook his head.

"So what should I be doing?" Zain asked.

"You should apologise to her, not because you have done something wrong but because you cannot afford any mess with Moona right now." Hashim said.

"Alright! Thanks man!" Zain nodded and turned to Shanzay.

"Shanzay, I need to talk to you. Will you please come outside?"

Shanzay nodded and went out with him. Everybody was doing their routine jobs, Khalil in his room getting ready for his office, Moona along with Salma and Humna in the kitchen preparing the breakfast, Yumna and Saud getting ready for their school, Usman sitting on the couch with Saud and Haniya on his both sides playing with him. Hashim smiled and came towards them. After five minutes Salma came out of the kitchen with plates in her hands.

"Hashim, Usman gather everybody on the table and give me a hand with these." She said. Usman took the plates while Hashim went to call everybody for the breakfast.

When everybody had settled on the table, Khalil reached for the bowl and motioned everybody to get started.

"I got a new apartment." Shanzay said. Everybody stopped in their place.

"What?" Moona was the first to react.

"Yes I am shifting."

"But why?" Humna asked.

"I have to. After all that happened." Shanzay said.

"Look what have you done!" Moona looked at Zain, who looked back in shock.

"It's not his fault Moona, he has even apologised for his behaviour. I've been searching for an appartement since I moved in with you because of my father. He doesn't want me to live with you." Shanzay said.

"I think this is a very wise decision. You should not ruin your relation with your father because of us." Khalil said. Hashim noded, looking at Moona as if asking her to not urge her to stay. Moona remained silent. After breakfast, Hashim stood up.

"I have to go." He said.

"We are going to the graveyard tomorrow after breakfast, make sure to arrive at time." Khalil said.

"Okay, I will." Hashim nodded and went towards his car.

"Hashim can you wait for me please? My car broke down yesterday." Moona said, standing up from her chair.

"But Moona, I am already late." Hashim said, opening the door of the car.

"It's okay, you go I'll give her a lift." Zain said, Moona didn't reply and went inside.

"What happened between you two?" Khalil asked, as Shanzay got up to leave.

"Nothing special bhai, I'll talk to her." Zain said.

"Try to be happy Zain, there is going to be a wedding." Salma said cheerfully. Zain just smiled and got up.

"Humna I need a cup of tea." He said and went to the balcony. After sometime they both were enjoying their tea at their favourite spot.

"I can't believe that after 10 days I'll not be standing here with you bhai." She smiled.

"Inshallah (if God wills)!!" Zain said.

"You don't have any business in those days, right?" Humna asked.

"I can't say anything before time. Even if I have business I will try my best to make it for the wedding." He smiled.

"Thanks."

"Anything for you!"

.........................

Moona saw Aasim coming out of his office from the open door of her office. Munib was with him and they seemed in hurry. Moona got suspicious, she looked around and then again at them both. They were going towards the elevator. Moona rose up to her feet and went to the window that viewed the entrance of the building. After a while she saw Aasim and Munib coming out of the building. She rushed for her bag and mobile and went after them. After 5 minutes she was chasing them in a taxi. There was a considerable distance between the two cars. The chase continued for about half an hour. When the first car had reached it's destination, the taxi driver stopped the car at the unoticable distance.

"Is there any problem ma'm?" He asked.

"No, can you wait here? I'll be back in some minutes." Moona said. The driver nodded. As she was about to open the door of her side when there was knock on her window. Moona looked up. It was Zain so she rolled down the glass silently.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?" Moona asked back. Zain sighed and ran his hand in his hair, looking around. Then he come to the other door and sat in the car.

"This area is not safe, Moona. You should not have come here." He said.

"Why is it not safe?" Moona asked.

"You came here chasing them, right?" Zain motioned towards Aasim's car. Moona nodded. "They came here because I wanted them to." Zain said.

"I don't understand." Moona said,

"This is a trap, Moona." Zain said, frustrated.

"You set a trap? How?" Moona asked.

"They have come here to meet Khalid."

"So?"

"But Khalid is dead."

"What??? How???" Moona yelled.

"I will tell you everything. But for now you have to go. If they got any tarce of you here they will go to any extent. And that I don't want. Alright?" Zain said, looking at the taxi driver who had got out of the car when he had sat in. Moona looked in the direction of his sight and then nodded.

"Alright, I am going back, but that doesn't mean that things have solved between us." Moona said.

"I know." Zain said in a cold voice and got out of the car. The taxi driver opened the door and sat in.

"What now, ma'm?" He asked.

"Let's go back!" Moona sighed and took a glance of Zain going into the trees with a pistol in his hands. There was a team behind him. Moona put her head back on the seat and closed her eyes.

...........................